Posted on October, 13 2025
WWF Greece, aiming to actively contribute to the etasblishment of a network of effectively managed Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), presents two Good Practice Guides that summarize the lessons learned and best practices derived from the organization’s twelve-year involvement in the Gyaros MPA.
Both guides are available online (in Greek) at wwf-odigoi.gr , and relate to:
- “Participatory Processes for the Design, Establishment, and Management of MPAs”, and
- “Design and Implementation of Monitoring and Surveillance Systems of MPAs”.
Together, they provide a clear and accessible presentation of recommendations and tools that can support and enhance the effective management of both existing and future MPAs in Greece — including the two new national marine parks in the Southern Cyclades and the Ionian Sea.
In 2013, WWF Greece, together with other environmental organizations, launched an ambitious initiative for the protection and management of the terrestrial and marine area of Gyaros island in the Cyclades. Twelve years later, the Gyaros MPA stands as a model for the management of protected areas, under the responsibility of the state’s administration.
Through these guides, this valuable experience is now available to all, highlighting the importance of organized and active participation and cooperation among all stakeholders, as well as the role of modern monitoring systems — with the ultimate goal of effective management and protection of MPAs in Greece.
These guides come at a crucial moment for marine protection in the country: on one hand, Greece is awaiting the Presidential Decree that will solidify the protection of the Gyaros MPA, and on the other, the official establishment of the two new national marine parks in the Southern Cyclades (Aegean) and the Ionian Sea is expected soon.
The Guides and their Content
- Good Practice Guide for Participatory Processes
This guide documents the experience gained from the operation of the Gyaros Co-Management Committee and from the consultation processes with stakeholders implemented for the design of an MPA in this area.
Developing participatory processes and organized consultations on key collective issues can serve as a useful tool for decision-makers, who wish to minimize conflicts and effectively implement sustainable policies.
In the case of Gyaros, the Co-Management Committee was established in 2016 as a pioneering participatory and consultative body with the goal of developing proposals for integrated protection measures as well as actions for the sustainable development of Gyaros and the neighbouring inhabited islands.
Drawing on the lessons learned from the Committee’s operation, this guide outlines the framework of actions that must be considered for implementing an integrated participatory process — such as member selection, agreement on a shared vision, the role of an external facilitator, consultation methods, meeting planning, and more. - Good Practice Guide for Monitoring & Surveillance
This guide presents the innovative monitoring system of the Gyaros MPA, which combines advanced remote-surveillance technology with traditional patrolling methods.
It provides a detailed description of the design, installation, implementation, and evaluation process of the system, emphasizing lessons learned fom the effective protection of species and habitats in the area (e.g., Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows and the Mediterranean monk seal).
Spyros Kotomatas, WWF Greece Program Manager for Gyaros MPA, stated:
“When we started this initiative 12 years ago to create a model MPA in Gyaros, the challenge seemed great, complex, but also extremely interesting.
Today, as we complete a major cycle of actions and interventions, Gyaros is now a marine protected area. With the expected issuance of the Presidential Decree, its long-term protection will be secured, and at the same time, there is now a state body — the Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency (NECCA) — responsible for its management.
We achieved a lot, as we also failed in certain things. The lessons learned were many and crucial, and we felt it was our duty to share them with the wider community engaged in managing protected areas and conserving nature.
We hope that these two Good Practice Guides will be useful to everyone working for the effective conservation of nature in practice. With their use, we aspire that Gyaros will not remain just a successful exception, but will become a valuable and decisive tool for the effective management and actual protection of MPAs in Greece and across the Mediterranean.”
The creation of the two digital Good Practice Guides was carried out under the project “Creation of Good Practice Guides based on the experience from the establishment and management of the Gyaros MPA”, which is part of the program “Integration of best practices and lessons learned from the Gyaros MPA into Greece’s National System for Managing Marine Protected Areas”, implemented by WWF Greece.
The design and production of the Guides were commissioned to and implemented by OIKOM Environmental Consulting Ltd.
The program is supported by the Monk Seal Alliance.
More information and access to the guides: https://wwf-odigoi.gr/
